Surgical operations
Only expert Bariatric Surgeons should perform weight loss surgery. Our Verve Health Group clinical team which includes consultant bariatric surgeons, specialist dietitians and consultant clinicial psychologists are experts in delivering world class care for surgical patients.
Weight loss surgery is the single most effective intervention for long term maintenance of weight loss.
With experienced surgeons and flexible expert multi-disciplinary aftercare, we can help you to achieve your goals.
Find out more about the surgeries we offer and the flexible support packages.
Gastric Band
Sleeve Gastrectomy
Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y)
Mini Gastric Bypass
Our partnering hospitals offer finance plans as a way for you to pay back the cost of your treatment over 12 to 48 monthly instalments.
Gastric Banding
The Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band is an inflatable band that is placed around the upper portion of your stomach, creating a small pouch. Food slowly passes from the pouch into the stomach. The Gastric band is made of soft silicone and has an inflatable balloon on its inner margin which can be adjusted. This balloon is connected to tubing which leads to an access port. Fluid can be added or removed via the port to adjust the tension within the Gastric Band. Only specialist healthcare professionals should perform Gastric Band adjustments.
The function of the digestive system remains intact with the Gastric Band as there is no stapling or removal of any part of the stomach or intestines. Your body will absorb food as it did before the surgery.
The Gastric Band helps to reduce weight by limiting the amount of food you can eat at any one time, helping you to feel fuller after smaller amounts of food.
Success with a Gastric Band will depend on changes that you are able to make to the way that you eat (slowing your pace, chewing thoroughly, and eating textured food) and so one of our specialist dietitians will support you to adapt.
Check out the "Eating after your Gastric Band" leaflet in the resource box below.
Sleeve Gastrectomy
The Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy started out as a two-stage procedure but worldwide over the last 15 years it has become a very popular standalone bariatric surgery option.
The Sleeve Gastrectomy involves removing three quarters of the stomach, leaving the rest of the gastrointestinal tract intact. This changes the guts signals that regulate appetite, taste and blood sugar. The new stomach holds less volume and so helps to significantly reduce the amount of food that you can eat. This surgery is irreversible.
Like the Gastric Bypass, most of the weight loss occurs in the first 2 years with people on average losing 20-30% of their total body weight. However, the pace of weight loss can vary between people, with some losing weight rapidly in the first 6 months, whilst for others, there can be weight plateaus, resulting in slower weight loss over a 12-18 month period.
You will need to take lifelong vitamin and mineral supplements and have your bloods monitored annually (more frequently in your first year after surgery). Whilst there is less sensitivity to alcohol post-operatively compared to the Gastric Bypass, we recommend a period of total abstinence after surgery to allow yourself time to adjust to the physical and behavioural changes that occur with the Sleeve Gastrectomy.
The Sleeve Gastrectomy has less long-term data compared to the Gastric Bypass but studies looking at outcomes in the short and medium term show that it is a very effective intervention for weight loss.
The long-term success of the surgery will be influenced by how a person is able to adapt to the habit changes required and so it is essential to view the surgery as a tool for weight management. With the support of our team, you will learn how to adjust to your new way of eating and tune in to recognising your hunger and satiety signals.
Check out the "Eating after your Gastric Bypass or Sleeve" leaflet in the resource box below.
Gastric Bypass (Roux-en-Y)
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), commonly called simply Gastric Bypass, is one of the most popularly performed bariatric procedures worldwide and has long been considered the gold standard of bariatric surgery. The Gastric Bypass was first reported in 1967 and was performed as open surgery for several decades. However today, it is performed by the laparoscopic (keyhole) approach.
The surgery involves stapling across the stomach to create a small pouch which becomes your new stomach. This pouch is re-plumbed to provide a short cut to the mid-part of intestine, bypassing the first part of the small intestine. The rest of your stomach remains in place.
The Gastric Bypass works in a number of different ways: It creates a smaller stomach and therefore a smaller amount of food is able to be consumed. However, the most important change comes from the altered hormonal signals. The Gastric Bypass changes the signals between your gut and your brain which will help you to feel satisfied after eating much smaller amounts, and less hungry in between meals. It also creates changes to your taste and improves your blood sugar.
You will need to take lifelong vitamin and mineral supplements, have your bloods monitored annually (more frequently in your first year after surgery), and ensure that you limit your alcohol intake. The Gastric Bypass can result in an increase in your sensitivity and a decrease in your tolerance to alcohol and so we recommend a period of total abstinence for a period of time after surgery.
On average people lose between 20-30% of their total weight loss. The length of time for the weight loss varies, sometimes fast over a period of 6 months and sometimes slower over 12-18 months. In addition to weight loss, diseases related to obesity will dramatically improve after a gastric bypass. These include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease and obstructed sleep apnoea.
The Gastric Bypass is a very effective intervention for weight loss but it is important that you view it as a tool for longer term weight management. With the support of our team, you will learn how to adjust to your new way of eating and tune in to recognising your hunger and satiety signals.
Check out the "Eating after your Gastric Bypass or Sleeve" leaflet in the resource box below.
Mini Gastric Bypass
The Mini Gastric Bypass is a relatively new operation, first performed in 1997. Similarly to a sleeve gastrectomy, it involves stapling the stomach starting from its lower part (known as the antrum) to create a long thin gastric pouch. However, unlike sleeve gastrectomy where the rest of the stomach is removed, in this operation the stomach remains in place but food bypasses most of the stomach and the first metre and a half of small bowel.
The number of Mini Gastric Bypass surgeries performed worldwide is increasing steadily. This operation has been proven to be technically more simple and just as safe and effective as the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and takes around 40-60 minutes.
The Mini Gastric Bypass works mainly through altering gut signals helping you feel less hungry as these hormones control appetite, taste and blood sugars. It reduces the size of the stomach.
Along with a balanced dietary intake, you will need to take lifelong iron, vitamin D, calcium, vitamin B12, folate and multivitamin supplements to reduce any risk of problems with deficiencies. You will ned to work with our team to help you to adjust to the changes needed after surgery for longer term success.
On average people lose about 1/3 of their body weight over 6-12 months.
Find more information about this surgery here and deciding on surgery on our useful information page.
